D97 schools should be bike-friendlier

Oak Park is becoming a bike friendly place in many ways: bike lanes, signs that say "share the road" and more bike racks throughout our village.

However, there is one glaring exception to the "bike friendly" quality of life in our village. That is the K-5 schools in District 97. As a frequent visitor to the schools, either as a grandparent attending a concert or as a substitute teacher, I am continually frustrated by the lack of a place to lock my bike. If I'm lucky, I can find a sign post somewhere near the school.

I have asked school officials about this and their response is always, "We can't have bike racks because it would encourage children to ride their bikes to school and we can't have that." I fail to understand why they can't have an "Adults Only" policy if that is their wish.

In this day and age, more and more people are using bicycles for transportation. It's good for our health and good for the environment when we ride our bikes.

I intend to attend the meeting of the District 97 school board at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 970 Madison St. I think I'll be able to address the board for three minutes during their comment period. I invite others who are interested in this issue to attend with me.

I am willing to serve on a committee to explore the best kind of racks to purchase and to work with schools on the best location for bike racks.